The Heroes' Journey Begins (in Merivale)

The Scene: Only two Goblins are left, one is badly wounded and considering fleeing; the other still untouched, is completely focused on Kessa and seems unaware that the battle has been lost. For the moment, you've lost sight of the ratrider who disappeared into the dark woods a few seconds ago....

Thorne, do not let the rider get to Moonblossom. called calls out as she moves to finish off the remaining goblins

OOC:

move back to camp with any remaining actions after the goblins are finished off

GM Note: Vilde was taken down before she spotted the ratrider and couldn't alert you to his movements. At the moment, hid whereabouts are unknown.

The Scene, Revised: Two Goblins remain engaged with the heroes. One is slightly wounded and focusing on Caldra. The other is near Thorne, but not currently engaged.

Kessa flourishes her two daggers while she watches the goblin in front her, looking for an opening. She feints with one and then goes in with the other. She gets in a solid blow, then tries to catch the foe while he's reacting to the pain, landing another solid hit.

Taking a step back, she continues brandishing her blades, hoping to distract from any incoming attacks.

Taking advantage of the Goblin's focus on Caldra, Kessa finds her openings and with the speed and deadliness of a cobra, dispatches the last of the eastside Goblins with two quick neck strikes, and it falls to the ground clutching at its throat.


One Goblin remaining, a few steps away from Thorne and a near move away from Caldra and Kessa. I think Thorne has 3 actions remaining, and Caldra has 2?

What do you do?

Thorne will try to finish this battle before hunting the rider.

He marks the nearby Goblin as his quarry, and attacks it twice with both blades.

Caldra moves to Vilde and heals her friend smashing at the last goblin on the way

Before the Goblin even has time to run, Thorne drops him in his tracks. A sudden silence falls over the wood, punctuated only by your breathing, still heavy from the battle.

Caldra moves over to Vilde and lays hands on her. A gentle glow spreads from her hands to envelop the mage's body, and after a few seconds, her breathing grows normal. A moment later, her eyes flicker open. "Thank you," she murmurs with a weak smile as she gets unsteadily to her feet and dusts herself off. "Did we get them all?"

Thorne doesn’t relax when the last goblin falls. He wipes one blade clean on the creature’s ragged clothes, stoops, and pulls a short sword free from its slack grip. He now has two short swords. After a quick glance at the balance and grabbing the sword sheaths, he looks up as Vilde asks her question.

"No," he says evenly. "Not all of them."

His eyes are already moving, scanning the treeline, the churned earth, the snapped brush where something large and fast fled during the chaos. "The ratrider broke off while we were fighting. He used the noise and the dark."

Then, he turns and presses the hilt of his dagger into Kessa's hand.

"Take this," he says quietly. "If you need, throw it. He’s wounded, and that mount’s heavy. He likely didn't go far. Let’s check their camp."

Caldra picks up andy remaining weapons from the dead goblins nearby before following Thorne toward the camp, anxious to secure Moonblossom.

Kessa twists her wrist around, feeling the weight and balance of the dagger Thorne gave her. "Got it." She says. Then she waits to see what the group does next.

You turn to head back towards the clearing just as the ratrider lurches out of the trees near the campsite. He slides from the saddle still clutching the wound in his side and begins frantically rummaging through the pile of belongings muttering to himself. From where you are standing, he's about 45-50 feet away (two moves, 9 spaces). He glances towards where the battle took place but seems primarily focused on finding something.

GM Note: No need for Intiative here, its the Heroes' turn!

Thorne stops cold the instant the ratrider stumbles into view.

In one fluid motion Thorne shrugs the short sword back into his belt, reaches over his shoulder, and brings his bow down into his hands. The string is drawn even as he steps into a stable stance, breath slowing, the world narrowing to a single wounded figure at the edge of the firelight.

There you are.He marks the ratrider as his quarry, tracks every frantic movement as the goblin rummages through the pile. Thorne exhales and looses.The first arrow streaks out of the darkness toward the goblin’s center mass. Quickly, Thorne draws again and sends a second arrow flying, aimed to end the chase before it even begins.

Caldra rushes the rider intent on preventing him from skipping away again to do who knows what